Acme Fire Cult @ 40FT Brewery

You can smell the smoke billowing from Acme Fire Cult’s hulking iron grills from halfway up Kingsland Road. The scent of caramelised fat and charcoal evokes vivid barbecue memories, but Acme is far more than just burgers and bangers. This is a restaurant that has redefined open-fire cooking in London: Acme has changed the game.

The dining room is a perfectly functional, workmanlike space, but the restaurant truly shines when the sun’s out and you can grab a seat on the covered terrace. Out there, chefs tend the roaring fires, layering steaks, roasting leeks in the coals, and grating frankly obscene amounts of pecorino romano over hunks of Marmite sourdough. Acme makes its own ‘Marmite’ using yeast extract from neighbouring 40FT Brewery, then soaks leftover Dusty Knuckle sourdough in Marmite butter. The result? A gloriously chewy, umami-laden kick-off. One of the simplest, most delicious single bites in London? We reckon it might be.

Acme still champions veg-forward cooking, and some standout dishes remain, like the coal-roasted leeks. Nestled in the embers, they steam in their own juices, intensifying in flavour before being sliced open and slathered with a vivid pistachio romesco. It’s the kind of dish that could convert even the most devout carnivores.

That said, not everything hits the mark. Trombetta courgettes with tomato kelp XO and creme fraiche sound good on paper, but the courgettes lacked both smoke and seasoning, and the dish got lost beneath the richness of the creme.

Mains lean heavily on protein, but the execution is excellent. A rare, meaty bavette is sliced thin and served in a seaweed-spiked peppercorn sauce that’ll have you scraping down the plate with a spatula. Those with heartier appetites can tackle a hulking Tamworth pork chop paired with a punchy mojo rojo - also beautifully cooked.

Acme may no longer feel like the radical trailblazer it once was - its cooking now leans slightly more toward crowd-pleasing than envelope-pushing - but it remains one of London’s best fire-led kitchens.

Acme Fire Cult is a live-fire concept from chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins, the next step for the duo after a successful summer residency at London Fields Courtyard in Hackney. Located at 40FT Brewery in Dalston, Acme is a collaboration with Steve Ryan of 40FT, and offers a new approach to BBQ, where vegetables take centre stage and where food and drink are intrinsically linked. And for a bit of context, Acme derives from the Greek word akme, meaning the point at which something is at its best or most highly developed. 

The low waste menu uses beer brewing by-products to make ferments and sauces, such as its Acme ‘Marmite’ made from leftover beer yeast. Vegetables lie at the heart of the menu, alongside rare and native breed meat and fish from sustainable suppliers. Grilling and fermentation techniques are harnessed at Acme, as well as the heavy use of chilli and spices. The menu is constantly evolving but you might find things like flatbreads with coal-roasted leeks and pistachio romesco or ‘Char Siu’ beetroot with mojo verde. Large plates, meanwhile, include longhorn beef bavette with green peppercorn sauce or roasted celeriac, mushroom-kelp XO, white beans and salsa verde.

The restaurant has 10 beer taps pouring fresh beers brewed on site, as well as special edition beers to be paired with the food. There is also a concise wine list and a cocktail menu (with pairings) featuring classic negronis, margaritas and beer-based cocktails.  

The restaurant caters for 50 covers inside, including a bar area with six seats, plus 60 covers outside on the covered and heated terrace. A large custom-made grill and smoker stand proudly in the covered yard, serving Acme Fire Cult flavours whatever the weather. Inside, the space is pared back and dark with industrial elements.